William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh (died 9 August 1613) was an English nobleman, politician, peer, and knight. He was Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1594 to 1597. He was the fourth and younger son of Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford and his first wife Margaret (). His birthdate is uncertain, with some records showing that he was born as early as 1553, some as late as 1563. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, but apparently did not graduate. He spent several years in travelling through France, Germany, Italy, and Hungary. Returning to England about 1579, he was sent to Ireland in October 1580 in command of a company of recruits raised by the English clergy for the wars in Ireland. He was stationed on the Wicklow frontier to hold Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne in check, and on 4 April 1581 he and William Stanley succeeded in burning Fiagh's house of Ballinacor and killing some of his followers. He was rewarded with a lease of the abbey of Baltinglass Abbey in Co. Carlow on 4 September, and, being licensed to return to England, he was knighted by the lord-deputy, Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, on 10 September. On the occasion of the Duc d'Alençon's visit to England in November, he took part in a royal combat and fight on foot, wherein the duke and the prince dauphin were the challengers and Russell and Lord Thomas Howard the defenders. Russell began his active military career in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

in 1585, being made lieutenant-general of cavalry. In September 1586 he distinguished himself at the Battle of Zutphen and was noted for maintaining an effective fighting force in difficult circumstances. He was appointed Governor of Flushing in 1587, but was recalled on his own initiative the following year. On 16 May 1594 he was appointed to the office of Lord Deputy of Ireland, where he served with flamboyance. At the time, Ireland was on the point of rebellion, and there were two opinions in government on how to preserve the peace. One faction sought negotiation with the Irish rebels, while the other – including Russell – favoured military force. Russell's faction prevailed, and the rebellion grew into a general revolt, which lasted through the Nine Years War and ended with the

Treaty of Mellifont The Treaty of Mellifont (), also known as the Articles of Mellifont, was signed in 1603, ending the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War which took place in Ireland from 1593 to 1603. End of war Following the English victory in the Battl ...

in 1603. In August 1594 Russell relieved the garrison of the northern town of

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

, which had been under siege for several months, but failed to capture the Irish leaders. During his time in Ireland, Russell fell into dispute with his chief military commander, Sir John Norris. The dispute proved harmful to the crown government, and Russell was recalled to England in 1597, but only after he had captured and killed the rebel Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne. In 1599, Russell was named as leader of the forces defending western England in anticipation of a Spanish invasion. However, the invasion plans were thwarted. Russell built the mansion of Woburn. In the 1590s, he consulted with three Dutchmen as to the potential for draining his manor of Thorney Abbey in Cambridgeshire; his son, Francis Russell, continued the family interest in drainage and led the undertakers in the first attempt to drain the Great Level of the Fens, later known as the Bedford Level. Russell was created Baron Russell of Thornhaugh in 1603, but he lost influence at court and retired to his estates, where he died on 9 August 1613. His tomb is in St Andrew's Church, Thornhaugh. Russell married on 13 February 1585 at Watford, Elizabeth Long, only daughter and sole heiress of Henry Long of Shingay,

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, and granddaughter of Sir Richard Long. They had one son, Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford. The church registers of St Mary's Church, Watford record that the child was baptised in 1587.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell of Thornhaugh, William Russell, 1st Baron 16th-century births 1613 deaths Year of birth uncertain 16th-century English soldiers 17th-century English soldiers People of Elizabethan Ireland William Russell, 1st Baron Russell of Thornhaugh

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

Younger sons of earls 17th-century English nobility 16th-century English nobility People of the Nine Years' War (Ireland) Lords Lieutenant of Ireland Members of the Middle Temple